Set Up

August 16, 1999

What the pros ride, and why. This month: Jeremy Wray.

I’ve been riding different Element boards, but now that my model is out, I’ve been riding that. The concave is what they call Featherlight: a thinner board with a steeper concave. I like a mellow tail and a steep concave. The nose is pretty steep on the Featherlight, but I’m getting used to it. I like stiff boards. I can go through a board in a few days if I’m filming, but if I’m just skating normal, a board can last up to two weeks.

I ride Destructo trucks – there are three sizes, I ride the mid-size ones. I don’t ride risers. I always put all four bolts in – I’ve tried to use less than four, but my board takes off to the side. I ride the one-inch bolts Destructo makes.

I’m riding Powell Swiss bearings. They’re fast – so much faster than regular bearings. They make tricks that require lots of speed so much easier. You don’t lose speed.

Fifty-three-millimeter wheels work for me. I haven’t changed from that size in a while. I tried 54s, but they made my board feel too heavy. With 53s it rolls just right. My wheels have to be white; I’ve ridden white for ten years, now.

Out of habit, I used to always put a line on my griptape, so I could tell the tail from the nose. But it’s just easier to slap the griptape on, so I don’t make a line any more. I can tell the difference now.

I ride my own Jeremy Wray pro-model Adio shoes – I designed them, and I’m happy with them. The midsole has holes drilled in it so it’s lighter and more flexible. I lace them up but leave them untied. They’re sort of loose, I can slip in and out of them.